DCCA NEWS RELEASE: Beware of fake state investigators

HONOLULU – The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO) is warning the public about at least one individual who posed as a RICO investigator.

The office received information that a letter was sent to a local business asserting a violation and that RICO would be conducting an investigation at that location. The letter, however, was not sent by an investigator from the RICO office.

Notices from RICO are sent on official letterhead and include contact information for all RICO offices. Legitimate RICO investigators carry official badges and credentials with their name and organization. Members of the public may request to view the credentials of a RICO investigator to confirm the investigator’s identity. To verify the authenticity of an investigator or a written notice from RICO, the public also may call the RICO office at (808) 587-4272.

The Regulated Industries Complaints Office has opened an investigation into the matter. The impersonation of a public servant is a crime in the State of Hawaii.

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The Regulated Industries Complaints Office (“RICO”) is a division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) and enforces the licensing laws for the various professional boards, commissions and programs that are administratively attached to the Department. RICO receives, investigates and prosecutes complaints about possible licensing law violations. RICO also receives, investigates, and prosecutes complaints about possible unlicensed activity. In addition to complaints, RICO staff-initiates cases based on tip information, information from law enforcement agencies, information from professional organizations, insurance reporting, media reports and the like. Visit them online at http://cca.hawaii.gov/rico/.